Brooks not quitting on Hartline

Rich Brooks isn't giving up on quarterbackMike Hartline. Not even close. The Kentucky coach said he's sticking with the junior for theforeseeable future despite a lackluster performance in a 38-20 lossto No. 3 Alabama on Saturday. Hartline completed 17 of 31 passes for 168 yards against thenation's No. 2 ranked defense and threw three interceptions, two ofwhich sailed straight into the arms of an Alabama defender afterhorrible misreads. It wasn't the kind of play the Wildcats (2-2, 0-2 SEC) needheading into a crucial game against No. 25 South Carolina (4-1,1-1). Yet Brooks has no plans to put in backup Will Fidler or go totrue freshmen Morgan Newton or Ryan Mossakowski. "(Hartline) has got to throw better and he's got to make someplays and he can't make bad plays like he did," Brooks said. "Heknows that." He'll have to if the Wildcats want to end nearly two decades offutility against South Carolina coach Steve Spurrier, who is 16-0against Kentucky in his career. He often used to use the program asa punchline while coaching at Florida. Spurrier has been a bit more magnanimous at South Carolina. Hepointed to a win over a ranked Kentucky team two years ago as aturning point for the program, though his mastery of the Wildcatsremains a bit of a mystery to Brooks. "South Carolina has had their way with us," Brooks said."They have had struggles with other teams that we have beaten.It's not something I can put my exact finger on. But the one thingI do know is that we can't make mistakes." There were plenty of miscues to choose from against the CrimsonTide. The Wildcats were flagged seven times for 78 yards and theirfour turnovers led to 17 Alabama points. Fans booed several times in the second half as the Crimson Tideturned a close game into a rout and spent most of their venom onHartline. It's a part of the game, Brooks allowed, but that doesn't meanhe's wild about it. "I don' think they were booing him as much as they were booingme for not replacing him, so be it," Brooks said. "That's life inthe SEC, in big-time football right now. I hate it ... (but) theycan cheer, then can boo, they can jump up and down, blow snot. Idon't know. They can do whatever they want, I guess." It doesn't mean Brooks is going to make a move, though he didallow that Mossakowski and Newton haven't progressed as hoped. Thatisn't exactly a bad thing. "Just because we aren't throwing the young guys to the wolvesdoes not mean they are not really good players, because they are,"he said. "We just need to make sure that they are getting everyopportunity to be successful when they go in there, and if ithappens that they have to go in maybe before that time, then so beit. But at this point it doesn't make a lot of sense to do that." Wide receiver Randall Cobb came out in support of Hartline afterthe Alabama loss, and there doesn't appear to be a lack ofconfidence in the offense. "I think everybody has confidence in everything we're doing,"said safety Calvin Harrison. "We just need to keep working hardand execute." It won't be easy against the Gamecocks. South Carolina is ranked14th in the country on defense and the offense is starting to showsigns of life. Kentucky will have to play without All-Americancornerback Trevard Lindley, who has a high ankle sprain. "This is a big challenge," Brooks said. "This is a game thatis critically important if we want to move up in the SEC Eaststandings. It is just as important to South Carolina as it is tous. They are 1-1 and we are 0-2. This will go a long way for thefinal rankings of the SEC East. So it's a big, big game."

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